“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” – Author Doug Larson
True confessions… I’m not a huge fan of zucchini. The other night though, two perfectly sized, perfectly grilled pieces appeared on my plate next to my burger and I couldn’t get enough. No bacon required.
World-wide recommendations have long stated we can stave off all kinds of disease and regulate our diets if we eat 800 grams of produce a day. What does 800 grams translate to in real life? Well check out the picture from Optimize Me Nutrition. Nutritionist and exercise science expert EC Synkowski says it’s pretty much equivalent to filling a dinner plate, or roughly 6 cups of veggies and fruit over the course of a day. Still others say, “strive for five” veggies and one-two fruits a day.
However you slice this lofty health goal, grilled veggies are a great way to entice your palate toward that end.
Grilling caramelizes produce, evaporating some of the water and concentrating the flavors. And, for some, adding the smokiness and then charred lines punctuates the quintessential and yummy summer experience.
The dog days of summer also bring us the most wonderfully fresh and accessible harvest possible, so it’s a great time to boost your intake and explore your fibrous favorites.
Here are some tips on great veggie grilling:
- Good heat. Most need medium heat to avoid over charring or even burning. Get the grill good and hot, scrape it clean and oil it up with an oil soaked paper towel and tongs.
- Let it sear. Don’t turn too often, once or twice is plenty. The surface area of the fruit or veggie needs time to sear which creates those cool grill marks and will make it stick to the grates a bit less.
- Oil up. Coat with oil to seal in flavor and keep from drying out. Olive oil is great for flavor while safflower oil is low on flavor but has a higher smoke point.
- Slice evenly. Not too thick or thin. Too thin and burning or leathery textures can happen. Too thick and a bad mush can happen. Also make your cuts to maximize contact with the grill itself. This is especially true for sloppy fruits and such.
- Don’t cook too long. They should have a bit of a bounce back texture rather than being totally limp and mushy. The denser the fruit or veggie, the longer it takes.
Here are some methods and average cooking times for specific veggies on the grill:
Fruit: Grilling fruit is an art. Few chefs offer universal cooking times. The ballpark is anywhere from 5-15 mins! Think about density and know that pineapple slices will be longer and small peach segments will be very quick, for example. Good fruits on the grill include: peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, apples, pears, avocado, limes, lemons, grapefruit, mangoes, and figs.
Artichokes: Boil for 10-12 mins then quarter and cook 4-6 minutes
Asparagus: 6-8 mins depending on the thickness. Don’t forget to cut off the woody ends (about an inch) and season generously with salt and pepper.
Corn: 8-12 mins. Oh my, it’s a great time to grill this late summer favorite. Some chefs shuck the whole ear and throw it right on the grill on high heat turning every few minutes until it’s tender and dark brown in places (roughly 8-12 mins). Others keep the husks on and slowly roast the ear about 25-35 mins. For a famous Mexican dish called Elote (el-lo-tay), slather with a mixture of mayonnaise, garlic and sour cream; sprinkle a mixture of chili powder, cayenne and salt,; roll the ears in Mexican cheese crumbles — and there you have Mexican street corn. Yum! If you have left overs, slice it off the ears, add a little more sour cream and you’ve got a great corn dip for chips.
Carrots: 15-20 mins. Bon Appetite says, “Carrots love to burn when grilled over direct high heat; better to park them over a cooler spot on the grate and keep the cover closed if possible. Toss with 2 Tbsp. oil and a bit of salt; turn often until crisp-tender (roughly 15-20 mins). If you have large carrots, boil/blanch for 4-6 mins first. Then grill 3-5 mins.
Brussel Sprouts: 10-13 mins. Choose a batch that is universal in size so they’ll cook evenly. Alton Brown of the Food Network says to microwave these for 3 mins first then toss with olive oil, garlic, mustard, paprika and salt. You can skewer them or put them in foil packets. Grill them about 10 mins, flipping once.
Eggplant: 5-7 mins sliced (thicker slices will take longer); 15-20 mins whole. Grill the eggplant over high heat until the skin is black and charred on all sides and the flesh is soft; test it by gently poking the top. You’re supposed to burn the skin; that’s what gives the eggplant its smoky flavor. Turn the eggplant with tongs as it cooks: The whole process will take 20 to 30 mins. Transfer the grilled eggplant to a plate and let cool, then scrape off the skin (you can leave a bit for flavor depending on how smoky you want it).
Mushrooms: 6-7 mins (portabella, 8-10 minutes). Choose a batch that is universal in size so they’ll cook evenly. Shrooms love to be based with butter, garlic and dill. They soak up the flavors and won’t dry out too fast as a result.
Onions: Sliced 8-10 mins; halved 35-40 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Choose sweet onions when possible.
Peppers: Whole for 15-20 mins; halves or slices, 8-10 mins turning once. How to do fire roasted peppers on the grill from the Barbecue Bible: “This method works well for both bell peppers and chile peppers–choose peppers that are rotund and smooth, with relatively few depressions or crevasses. Preheat the grill to high. Place the whole peppers on the grill and cook until darkly charred on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side (16 to 20 minutes in all) for larger peppers; smaller chiles will take less time. Don’t forget to grill the tops and bottoms of the peppers; if necessary, hold the peppers with tongs if they won’t balance properly on either end. This is another vegetable you’re supposed to burn. Transfer the grilled peppers to a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or place the grilled peppers in a paper or plastic bag and close it. This creates steam, which makes it easy to remove the skin. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, scrape the skin off with a paring knife. Cut out the stem and remove the seeds.”
Potatoes: Parboil for 10 mins then toss with oil and seasonings and grill wedges right on the grill for 5 mins, turning once. If you use a foil packet and do not parboil, plan for 20 mins a side.
Tomatoes: 6-8 mins halved or put cherry tomato clusters on the vine right onto the grill all together. Remove when they have a bit of a char and look soft. Tomatoes can be messy on the grill so watch them carefully.
Zucchini: 5-7 mins. Half inch slices work really well. Add lemon zest and red pepper flakes with the salt and pepper to zing it up a notch!
There are many ways to cook veggies on the grill:
- Directly on it (clean and oil the grates before you set anything on them)
- On cedar planks (soak ahead of time for 15-30 mins so they don’t burn)
- On heavy duty, nonstick foil
- Using foil packets (see below)
- Kababobs/Skewers (soak wood skewers in water for 20 mins prior to grilling)
- Grill pans (made specifically for grilling veggies and unwieldy food items)
- Baking sheets
Finally, from Fed and Fit, here’s how to make a foil packet dinner on the grill:
- “Cut up your veggies and starch. You’ll want to chop all of the components of your foil packets into equal, 1-2 inch pieces. This helps ensure that everything cooks evenly!
- Cut foil and parchment paper. Cut (4) 12″ pieces of foil and (4) 12″ pieces of parchment paper. The foil will seal the meals and the parchment paper will keep your food from sticking. Line up the foil pieces, then place the parchment paper on top.
- Make your foil packets. Evenly divide your protein, starches, and veggies between the four pieces of foil and parchment and place in the middle of the foil sheets, then add your sauce or seasoning. Fold the foil in half over the food, then roll up the sides to seal your packets.
- Grill. Now you’re ready to grill! Simply place the foil packets on the grill over high heat for 12-15 minutes, until everything is fully cooked through, then remove from heat and serve.
- Note: If you don’t have a grill, you can still make these in the oven! Simply bake them at 425 F for 12-15 minutes.”
Enjoy your grilling time!
See you on the PATH Ahead,
Gillian and the PATH team (Shevonne, Amy, Ashley and our VEHI family)